5 “Money Saving” Tips That Don’t Make Cents

May 31, 2011 · Filed Under · 1 Comment 

1- The Brick In The Toilet – My Dad use to put a brick in the back of the toilet to save water. It turns out the brick can disintegrate easily and ruin your plumbing and create a very stinky problem. Your best bet is to get a low flow toilet, check your county, as many offer great rebates on low flow toilets that make them darn near free. If you want to do something like a brick, try instead a plastic water bottle or your old remote controls. ;-)

2- Build A “Finger Lickin’ Good” Chicken Coop – I built a chicken coop over Memorial Day weekend. After all my lumber and fencing costs, the chicks will have to grow up and produce exactly 1,237 eggs for me to re-”coop” my costs. Fortunately, my kids are really enjoying the little farts which is making it worth it. As for me, all I can think about is KFC extra crispy the last few days.

3- Make Your Own Cleaning Products – This seems like a great way to asphyxiate the entire household, including pets, if you are not careful. Or on the other hand you could accidentally create a really cool volcano for your child’s science fair.

4- Take On A Boarder – Please do a background check first! I hear of people doing this all the time and often wonder if I will next hear about them on the 6 o’clock local news. Use caution.

5- Let Your Boarder Mix Cleaning Products – Again, unless the person you rent a room to is a bald guy who goes by Mr. Clean, please be careful. And if you do rent to monsieur Clean, have him contact me, I’d love to hear about his arms and chest workout. I’m guessing good old fashioned push-ups and pull-ups.

Related Online Coupons that Do Make “Cents”:

Ann Taylor.com
Save 25% off your entire online purchase
Coupon Code: MAYAFF25
Expiration: 6/06/11
Use This: Ann Taylor Coupons

Borders Books.com
Save 33% off any 1 item in your online purchase
Coupon Code: BRG3350G
Expiration: 6/06/11
Use This: Borders Coupons

Childrens Place.com
Save 15% Off your online purchase
Coupon Code: H9D2011
Expiration: 6/30/11
Use This: Childrens Place Coupons

Home Depot.com
Save $10 Off your $100+ online purchase
Coupon Code: HDMEM10
Expiration: 6/05/11
Use This: Home Depot Coupons

Justice.com
Save 40% off your entire online purchase
Coupon Code: 750
Expiration: 6/08/11
Use this: Justice Coupons

Lands End.com
FREE Shipping on your ENTIRE order thru this LINK
Coupon Code: SUMMER and PIN 9075
Expiration: 6/02/11
Use this: Lands End Coupons

NewEgg Electronics.com
Save $10 Off your $50+ order (New Customers)
Coupon Code: NEWCUSTOMER10
Expiration: 6/30/11
Use this: New Egg Coupons

Snapfish.com
FREE Shipping on your entire Father’s Day Gift
Coupon Code: FS4DAD
Expiration: 6/07/11
Use this: Snapfish Coupons

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Blog Spotlight: 10 Questions With Michele of Go Shopping Info

May 30, 2011 · Filed Under · Comment 

Thanks Michele for participating in my 10 questions feature. Please E-Mail me if you are interested in being interviewed and having your blog featured.

10 Questions With Michele of Go Shopping Info.com

1. Describe your website in 5 sentences or less?
~ Go Shopping Info is the place to visit before you make a purchase. Whether you prefer shopping online or at the mall, we have hints, tips, and advice to offer. From fashion to home to budget, we cover the topics that matter. Before you spend any money, spend some time at Go Shopping Info, which is a Wasabi Media Group publication.

2. What makes your site different from all the rest?
~ Go Shopping Info provides shopping tips and insight for home shopping, fashion trends, and budget suggestions, all in one location.

3. What would I be surprised to find in your refrigerator right now?
~ Broccoli sprouts that were grown on my kitchen counter.

4. If you were deserted on a desert island and could pick one music CD to bring, what would it be? (assuming you had a CD player and electricity )
~ Any CD by Train.

5. When and why did you first start your website?
~ Go Shopping Info is part of the Wasabi Media Group family. As we were creating the properties, we realized immediately that shopping was an important topic to be covered within our company.

6. What post on your blog best depicts the essence of you?
~ It would have to be our fashion section (http://www.goshoppinginfo.com/fashion/), not that I’m a fashionista, but I do like to stay on top of current trends.

7. What blog or website influenced you the most when you started?
~ There really was no influence. I was in the process of building our media company, knew we needed a shopping site, and thought about what features would be most appealing to our audience.

8. Who would play you in a movie about your life, and why?
~ Meg Ryan would be my choice, as she does well at portraying women who are both strong-willed and caring.

9. Where do you see your website in 5 years?
~ I imagine it will be quite busy. Currently, the WMG properties have 1,000,000 visitors a month at the age of 3 years old. By the time, they’re 8, I’d like to think we have 10,000,000 visitors a month.

10. What is your favorite breakfast cereal and why?
~ I’m not a cereal eater, so would egg whites with spinach and feta count?

Thanks Michele! And no, “egg whites with spinach and feta” does not count! Geez… Remember to E-Mail me if you are interested in being interviewed and having your blog featured.

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Giveaway #2: “Like” Us on Facebook to Win a $75 Walmart Gift Card

May 27, 2011 · Filed Under · 150 Comments 

We Have a WINNER! – Congratulations to Andi, who lives in Bakersfield, California for winning the $75 Gift Card.

Be on the lookout for another Giveaway soon! Thanks to all who entered!

On the heels of such a great response from our first Giveaway, let’s do another! This one is an EVEN EASIER way to win a $75 Walmart Gift Card! Here is all you have to do:

1- Just ‘Like’ Rather-Be-Shopping.com on Facebook and SHARE this Giveaway with your Facebook friends. My ‘Like Box’ is on the right. Just let me know you “liked” us by commenting on this blog post and tell me that you shared this Giveaway with your Facebook friends and you are entered! How easy is that. You can share this giveaway on Facebook by clicking on the ‘Share/Save’ button at the bottom on this post or by manually sharing this Link:
http://www.rather-be-shopping.com/blog/2011/05/27/giveaway-2/ – Let’s see if we can get to a 1,000 fans!

2- Please remember, that you must leave a comment to enter after you have ‘Liked’ us and shared. And if you already “Like” us, all you have to do is share, then leave a comment and you are entered as well.

3- Giveaway ends June 12h at Midnight PST. At which point I will use Random.org to pick a winner. Must be 18 and a U.S. citizen to enter.

Want Extra Entries? If so, you can do the following:

~ 1 Extra Entry REGISTER with the new Rather-Be-Shopping.com. Then ‘Sign In’ and click on ‘Create or Change your ‘Coupon Alert’ Settings’ and pick your favorite store (or more if you want!) to get ‘Coupon Alerts’ for. That’s it. Here’s the link to REGISTER NOW! Leave a comment that you have registered and you get another entry! If you have previously registered, just leave a comment telling me so, and you’ll get an entry too.

~ 5 Extra Entires – If you are a blog owner, create a post about the new Rather-Be-Shopping.com and some of the money saving benefits and I will be glad to give you 5 extra entries. Just E-mail Me the link to your post and I will take care of the rest!

Good luck and thanks for coming by and ‘Liking’ us, and helping to spread the word about Rather-Be-Shopping.com. Happy couponing and happy saving!

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Coupon of the Day: $50 Off at Cost Plus World Market.com

May 26, 2011 · Filed Under · Comment 

Save $50 OFF your $200+ online order, Coupon Code SUMMERFUN1

Expires 5/30/11

Side Note: My wife and I are big fans of Cost Plus World Market. Just last year, we bought a dining room table, 4 chairs, and a bench from them. We have been very happy with the quality and it cost like 200% less than a similar looking set from Pottery Barn. The one thing I don’t quite get is their name. I invision a board meeting with a bunch of executives sitting around and they just can’t decide on the name of the company. Some like “Cost Plus” others just love “World Market”. After 8 hours of deliberation they all throw up their arms and say “Screw it. We will just go with ‘Cost Plus World Market’. Just pick a name and play will ya.

~ Check out all my Cost Plus coupons for additional deals like free shipping.

Other Useful Coupons:

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5 Ways Guaranteed To Ruin Your Shopping Experience

May 25, 2011 · Filed Under , · 3 Comments 

Yes, you read that correctly. Here are 5 Ways Guaranteed To Ruin Your Shopping Trip. I speak from experience on at least 3 of these…

1 – Always Shop With Your Kids. Better yet, take them to 7-Eleven for a Slurpee on the way to the store. Talk about not caring what something costs, “Just take my money lady so I can get out of here.” I guarantee you will walk out of the store with one less kid, and be like “Oh well, he should be OK. He knows where we live.”

2 – TLC Camera Crew In Parking Lot. Your screwed. Especially when you try and checkout and both open registers have Extreme Couponers checking out. If this happens, try taking a nap in the cereal aisle. There should be plenty of empty shelf space to stretch out in. People, can you really eat 25 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios?

3 – Always Take an Employee’s “Word For It”. My wife does this at Blockbuster. “The girl checking me out said it was good.” I typically respond, “Was she wearing a Justin Bieber shirt?”

4 – Shop at Wal-Mart. I can’t really think of anything to add…oh wait, silly me, I Can.

5 – Be Color Blind. If you are afflicted, be really careful in the meat department. Green meat. Bad.

Anything to add? This would be the time to do it.

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Blog Spotlight: 10 Questions With Steve of Brip Blap

May 23, 2011 · Filed Under , · Comment 

I have been enjoying Brip Blap for a long time. I actually remember when Steve was blogging anonymously. I remember thinking how cool and mysterious he was. The world traveler with all of this amazing life experience. It was (and still is) a great read. Thanks Steve for participating in my 10 questions feature. Please E-Mail me if you are interested in being interviewed and having your blog featured.

10 Questions With Steve of BripBlap.com

1. Describe your blog in 5 sentences or less?
~ My blog’s current goal is to provide an outlet for my attempts at lifehacking in almost every area of my life: career, personal finance, family, weight loss, fitness, productivity and happiness. I cover such a wide range because I believe all of them are tied together; one weak leg and the whole table falls over. But mostly it’s just about me and my journey through life, and hopefully others can find something interesting or useful about that journey.

2. What makes your blog different from all the rest?
~ Well, it’s written by me – I don’t mean that in an egotistical way, but no other blogs share MY point of view and MY life story like brip blap does. I like to think I bring a fairly straightforward and honest writing style to the subjects I write about. I have some fairly unique experiences, having lived in Moscow for years in the mid-90s and having done a huge amount of international business travel all over the planet before doing a complete lifestyle remake: getting married, having two children and relocating to a small town in Florida. I lost 100 pounds, I’ve never been in debt and I have what I believe is an achievable goal of having $2 million in the bank in 5 years.

3. What would I be surprised to find in your refrigerator right now?
~ Ladybugs. Actual ladybugs. They are great for the garden, and when you get them you can keep them in the fridge for a while – they go into some sort of weird motionless coma and start moving around almost the second you take them out.

4. If you were deserted on a desert island and could pick one music CD to bring, what would it be? (assuming you had a CD player and electricity )
~ Kyle Moreland’s “Build Yourself a Boat”. But seriously, “Disintegration” by the Cure. I’m not as much of a Cure fan as I was in my 20s, but that album still resonates with me, and the title track might be the best song I’ve ever heard.

5. When and why did you first start blogging?
~ I started blogging way back in 2003 or so on blogspot. My blog back then was solely focused on politics – I had such strong opinions and felt I needed an outlet to vent. If I had started today, I might’ve done it on Facebook or Twitter. But after about four years of that (and the birth of our first child), I got tired of politics and started reading more about personal finance and personal development. Sudddenly I realized “hey, I could write about this!” and brip blap was born in 2007.

6. What post on your blog best depicts the essence of you?
~ Well, it’s not necessarily my favorite, but 8 Steps to a Six Figure Career is far and away one of the most popular, and it does a good job of giving you an idea of how I think about career management.

7. What blog or website influenced you the most when you started?
~ Probably Zen Habits by Leo Babuta or Lazy Man and Money. I loved ZH early on (not as much now, but he still has some great insights from time to time – his ebook “Focus” was fantastic). And Lazy Man’s blog has been a consistently entertaining and informative personal finance/productivity site for years now. I can almost forgive him (almost) for being a Patriots fan.

8. Who would play you in a movie about your life, and why?
~ My first thought was to say Gary Oldman. He doesn’t look anything like me, but he’s just awesome at anything he does. But instead – and keep in mind this is for a younger me when I was living in Moscow and traveling around the world – Emile Hirsch from “Into the Wild.” I think he could do the right mix of occasionally very sociable, very outgoing and friendly, but then drop back into a withdrawn, serious and meditative personality. That’s how I am. And if neither of them are available, Christopher Titus.

9. When it comes to blogging, what is your biggest pet peeve?
~ I don’t have many – by and large it’s been a fun experience without many negatives. I don’t care much for doing link roundups, but I enjoy being included in other people’s, so I grit my teeth and do one a week. But that’s probably the most “job-like” thing I do as part of the blog. The rest of it is just my own thing at my own schedule.

10. What is your favorite breakfast cereal and why?
~ Healthy answer: cheerios with granola, because it’s good for roughage. Unhealthy answer: Cinammon Toast Crunch, because it’s like having a sugar hammer hit you square between the eyes. Haven’t had it in years but man, that’ll wake you up quicker than coffee.

Thanks Steve, great stuff! Oh man, I love Cinnamon Toast Crunch too. Pure gold. My kids get so mad at me though as I have a hard time resisting it for dessert. So my wife tends to keep it out of the house. Smart woman. Remember to E-Mail me if you are interested in being interviewed and having your blog featured.

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5 Reasons TLC’s Extreme Couponing is Extremely Lame

May 18, 2011 · Filed Under , · 4 Comments 

My wife tends to be a frugal person by nature, so when we were watching an episode of TLC’s new show ‘Extreme Couponing’ the other night, I found it hilarious when she turned to me and said “I hope you never want me to be like those ladies?” And I said, “Like what? You mean spend all of your free time collecting coupons from every person you know, and then start an underground bunker full of Ibuprofen, hot sauce, and Honey Nut Cheerios? No, please don’t ever be like that.” Do I have anything against using grocery store coupons? Absolutely not, we use them all the time. The difference is we use them on stuff we actually need and will use within a reasonable amount of time. I think balance is the key to a good coupon strategy.

Here are my top 5 reasons TLC’s Extreme Couponing is Lame. Drumroll please….

1 – Unless you start eating all of your free toothpaste, you cannot survive on 50 boxes of Lucky Charms and 12 cases of Gatorade. Well, you probably can survive, but authorities would eventually have to remove a wall of your home to get you out.

2 – It is clearly not a show about saving money as it’s a show about strange addictions. Every episode I have seen involves a lady at the checkout register with an adrenaline rush second only to a heroine addiction.

3 – If you don’t actually need it, it does not matter what it costs. The show really goes against the idea of frugal living. Which is strange because I always equate using coupons as a solid aspect of the frugal lifestyle.

4 – Don’t empty my shelves! If I ever go to my local grocery store and my favorite hot sauce and headache medicine is gone, I’m going to be screaming mad! Meatloaf on Celebrity Apprentice mad.

5 – What about online coupons? Ya know, there are other ways to save with coupons other than the 3-foot wide coupon binder. Try Rather-Be-Shopping.com for example. Yes, this is indeed a shameless plug.

Have you ever seen the show? What is your take?

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Blog Spotlight: 10 Questions With Nicki of Domestic Cents.com

May 16, 2011 · Filed Under , · 2 Comments 

I am proud to start a new feature on my blog. Every week, I am going to spotlight a new blog that I think is terrific and interview the founder. Should be fun! Proud to start this feature with my blogging buddy Nicki from Domestic Cents.com. Please E-Mail me if you are interested in being interviewed and having your blog featured!

10 Questions With Nicki of Domestic Cents.com

1. Describe your blog in 5 sentences or less?
~ Domestic Cents is a blog about my personal journey in living frugal. I use domestic arts such as cooking from scratch, sewing and gardening to make a better life for my family while continuing to keep spending and “consumerism” at a minimum.

2. What makes your blog different from all the rest?
~ Probably not much :) I think the main thing that differentiates any blog is the “voice” behind it. I’ve been writing it for a while so I think people have started to get to know me. One thing my readers love is my “Why I do what I do” feature. At the footer of every post I share a little story or funny fact about my daughter.

3. What would I be surprised to find in your refrigerator right now?
~ I don’t think there’s anything all that surprising in there. :-) There’s some leftover birthday cake. We always have sweet gherkins pickles in there – a favorite around here.

4. If you were deserted on a desert island and could pick one music CD to bring, what would it be? (assuming you had a CD player and electricity )
~ A CD is tough. I’d be better off picking a playlist from my Ipod :) If I had to pick a CD – anything Hillsong United would work.

5. When and why did you first start blogging?
~ October 2008. I hadn’t been a stay-at-home mom all that long and I was still figuring out how we were going to make it. I was constantly looking for areas where I could cut back. Blogging seemed like a good way to keep motivated and share my ideas with others.

6. What post on your blog best depicts the essence of you?
~ One of the most popular posts on my blog is My Daughter Won’t Remember We Were Broke. It’s over 2 years old but has gotten the most attention. I think it accurately portrays where we are as a family. Even though it’s not a current post and things have changed a little for us (Chloe is 5 now and about to enter Kindergarten) – I still believe and stand by every word in that post.

7. What blog or website influenced you the most when you started?
~ I was a big Simple Mom and Small Notebook reader back when I first started.

8. Who would play you in a movie about your life, and why?
~ Ummm … maybe Reese Witherspoon? She’s the first person that comes to mind because she’s around the same size as me and a little fun and firey. Years ago – I used to wear my hair like she had it in “Sweet Home Alabama.”

9. When it comes to blogging, what is your biggest pet peeve?
~ People snatching my content without giving credit. Every now and then a reader will email me and say they found a word-for-word portion of one of my posts somewhere else. It’s not uncommon. That’s not cool.

10. What is your favorite breakfast cereal and why?
~ I’m not much of a cereal eater because I’m lactose intolerant. However, every now and then I’ll take a Lactaid pill and indulge in a bowl – usually at night. When I do – it’s Frosted Flakes or something else that’s ridiculously terrible for me.

Thanks Nicki, great answers! I can really relate to #9, once I had a person copy my exact site and claim it as their own. They finally took it down but I almost had to hire a lawyer. Amazing what some people think they can get away with. And as father of 3 young kids, her post from question #6 gave me a lump in my throat. What a beautiful and honest post. Now, go check out her blog, I think you will really get a lot out of it. Remember to E-Mail me if you are interested in being interviewed and having your blog featured.

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Quick Frugal Living Tips For the Weekend

May 13, 2011 · Filed Under , · Comment 

Looking forward to some time watching my kids play baseball (t-ball and minors respectively) this weekend and chewing on sunflower seeds until the inside of my cheek feels like sandpaper. Good times! If you get some time, I have listed some great reading from around the blogosphere that I found this week which I wanted to share. Enjoy.

~ Don’t Forget Your Camera – I love articles that make you remember the little things in life and how we often take them for granted. Valuing Experiences Over Stuff, amen Meg. (Frugal Uses for a Camera, by Meg Favreau from WiseBread)

~ Give Your Stuff Away Day is May 14th – Who knew? I love this idea. Our lives get so cluttered with stuff that sometimes it is so darn cathartic to just get rid of stuff you don’t use. The plastic horse in the garage, the extra toilet out in the shed, the tools you bought at a garage sale to fix the toilet in the shed, you get the point. (Declutter During Give Your Stuff Away Day, by Christina from Northern Cheapskate)

~ Flip Flop Weather Has Arrived – Nothing better than flip flop weather. Nothing better than the odd looking flip flop foot tan, it is almost as cool as the farmer tan. The good new is that tomorrow May 14th, Old Navy cardholders can get them for only $1 a pair. In-store only, yes only a buck a pair, 50 cents a flop. I think I have wore every possible color of Old Navy flip flops over the years, except maybe pink and purple. ($1 Flip Flops at Old Navy tomorrow ONLY, thanks Courtney from Consumer Queen)

~ Stamp Out Hunger Day – Tomorrow is a big day, not only is it Give Your Stuff Away Day but it is also Stamp Out Hunger Day. What a great cause, and very easy to particiapate. Erin from CouponCravings says “Simply place non-perishable food products in a bag and leave them at your mailbox on Saturday. That’s it. Your mail carrier will pick them up and deliver them to local food banks or pantries in your area.” Let’s all particaipate and make a difference in our communities. (Stamp Out Hunger: Help Feed Those in Need in Your Community (Saturday), by Erin from Coupon Cravings.com)

~ What is your Cost Of Not Saving Money? – Being a burden on my kids is probably the main reason I save money in a SEP IRA every year. I found The Psychology Of Saving,
by Tim Fraticelli at Bible Money Matters very thought provoking. I really fresh way to look at the importance of saving money for your future. Must-read reading. (The Psychology Of Saving, from Bible Money Matters)

Have a great weekend y’all!!

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Coupon of the Day: 12% Off at Guitar Center.com

May 11, 2011 · Filed Under , · Comment 

New customers, Save 12% OFF your ENTIRE online order, Coupon Code DOZEN

Expires 5/17/11

Side Note: After my son took some guitar lessons last summer, I decided to try playing myself. Thank God for Youtube! They have some great free lessons by dozens of talented musicians. After scaring all wildlife away from our property during the first couple months of playing, I can now carry a tune. At least for a few feet. I actually got a guitar from Santa Claus a few years ago via our local Costco. It’s an entry level Yamaha classical acoustic. It sounds OK, but I wish Santa’s elves had perhaps brought a slightly better instrument. But that is OK, I can upgrade down the road after I complete wear-out my current ax. I always wanted to call my guitar an “ax”. I am a pretty cool guy….huh?

~ Check out all my Guitar Center coupons for additional deals like $50 off $299 or more.

Related ‘Ax’ Coupons (I have no idea what that means):

  • New Egg.com – New customers, Save $10 OFF your $50+ online order – View My NewEgg coupons Here.
  • Overstock.com – FREE Shipping on your $75+ online order – View My Overstock coupons Here.
  • Kohls.com – FREE Shipping on your ENTIRE order – View My Kohls coupons Here.

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